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Managing Pain With Alternative Methods

Managing Pain With Alternative Methods

If you are searching for an alternative method for pain management (including chronic & recurring pain), you’ve come to the right place! There are several options to explore if you do not want to follow the path of traditional prescription drugs. At Central Valley Pain Management we offer several alternative methods for managing pain. Below, we outline 4 of our top options: CBD, LENS therapy, Acupuncture & IV Therapy.

CBD

Studies on CBD, Cannabidiol, oil and pain management have shown a great deal of promise. CBD can offer an alternative for people who have chronic pain and have previously relied on more dangerous, habit-forming medications like opioids. While CBD is a cannabinoid, it doesn’t produce a “high” or any psychoactive effects like other cannabinoids. The human body naturally creates a kind of cannabinoids on its own. These are called endocannabinoids, and they help regulate things like pain, sleep, and immune-system responses. The use of CBD may influence your body to use these endocannabinoids in a more effective manner. CBD interacts with receptors in your brain and immune system. When your receptors react with CBD, they form anti-inflammatory effects that reduce pain. Because CBD interacts with the receptors in your brain, it may improve your overall pain management system. As inflammation goes down, the pain itself lessens. Because your body will not build up a tolerance to the effects of CBD, it is a great long-term, alternative method for pain management.

LENS Therapy

The Low Energy Neurofeedback System (LENS) was developed in the early 1990s by a northern California psychologist. The treatment itself consists of sitting quietly in a comfortable chair with your eyes gently closed, while the neurofeedback practitioner applies a tiny electrode with conductive paste to your scalp. These electrodes will both measure brainwave activity and deliver treatment. Invisible radio frequency waves are administered in short intervals (1 second to 1 minute in length). The brain responds to the low-energy signals, creating a “learning” in the brain. LENS directly stimulates biochemical changes that are thought to help the brain regulate itself, normalizing both excess activity and suppression in the EEG. As a result, people feel better and are able to do more of what they want. Examples of issues LENS can assist with include, but are not limited to, anxiety, mood, concussive injury problems, and motor skills.

Acupuncture

Blockages & imbalances in the body’s natural energy chi (or qi) can cause illness or pain. The theory behind acupuncture is that invigorating these points will release, or redirect, the body’s natural energy, and therefore provide periodic relief. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has found that a number of studies suggest acupuncture works particularly well on chronic pain (including back, neck, knee, and tension-related headaches that can lead to migraines), in addition to reducing symptoms of chemotherapy such as nausea and fatigue. Pain relief with acupuncture is attributed to inactivating the source of pain by modulating endorphin levels. Despite the fact that the procedure is performed by inserting needles into various parts of the body, acupuncture is considered non-invasive and gentle. Many patients will often see their acupuncturist on a regular basis, simply to maintain a feeling of general well being.

IV Therapy

If you suffer from chronic pain that has not responded to medication or other traditional treatment options, IV therapy may be an option for you! The procedure is easy to administer and essentially pain free. An IV will be started and a bag of normal saline mixed with vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, or the like, will be slowly administered. IV Therapy alleviates a number of issues, including migraines, fatigue, cramping & even muscle pain.*Valley Wellness Center offers discounted IV Therapies to all CVPM patients. Simply mention you are CVPM patient at your appointment!

Contact us today!

If you are exploring alternative methods for pain management, one of the options could benefit your quality of life, contact our team today.

Hi Marsha,
Thanks for reaching out. A lot of patients with fibromyalgia or nerve pain have benefited from using CBD products. Valley Wellness Center, next door in the same building as us sells CBD without THC. I would head on over there, their staff is very knowledgeable about those products. Also, we feel the frustration of conservative treatments not being covered by insurance. Especially something like acupuncture which many people benefit from. The American College of Rheumatology recommends the following treatments for fibromyalgia: (synopsis of recommendations)

Non-Drug Therapies: Firstline, Physical exercise primarily regular aerobic exercises. Or body-based therapies, including Tai Chi and yoga.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of therapy focused on understanding how thoughts and behaviors affect pain and other symptoms.
Other complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy, can be useful to manage fibromyalgia symptoms.
Addressing risk factors and triggers for fibromyalgia including sleep disorders and stress, anxiety, panic disorder, and depressions important and this may require involvement of other specialists.
Medications: Firstline: duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella). Other options may include amitriptyline (Elavil) and cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril). Other antidepressant drugs can be helpful in some patients. Also firstline is pregabalin (Lyrica). Gabapentin (Neurontin) may also be considered.
It is strongly recommended to avoid opioid medications for treating fibromyalgia. Research evidence shows these drugs are not of helpful to most people with fibromyalgia, and will cause greater pain sensitivity or make pain persist. Tramadol (Ultram) may be used if short-term use of an opioid is needed. OTC medicines are not effective for fibromyalgia pain but may be useful to treat the pain triggers of fibromyalgia. They are most useful in people who have other causes for pain such as arthritis in addition to fibromyalgia.

I recommend talking with your doctor about some medication alternatives and also possibly seeing a pain psychologist that can help address your pain and provide therapy focused on understanding how thoughts and behaviors affect pain and other symptoms if you no longer have access to something like acupuncture.

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CVPM evaluates all significant aspects of a patient’s chronic pain condition & constructs an effective, safe & appropriate pain management program for their independent needs. Our physicians are committed to achieving this result with every patient.